Tensions flare during rally for Iran at University of Victoria

Published 5:00 pm Monday, March 9, 2026

Students and community members gathered outside McPherson Library at the University of Victoria (UVic) on Monday to raise awareness about the human rights situation in Iran, and to honour those who have died.

The March 9 demonstration, organized by the Persian Student Association (PERSA) at UVic, featured speeches from Iranian students and supporters who spoke about political repression, economic hardship and calls for political change in Iran.

About 50 people attended the gathering, which organizers said was intended to educate the campus community about events unfolding in the country.

“We are here today to raise awareness about what’s happening in Iran,” said Bahar Taheri, a UVic graduate and one of the volunteers helping organize the event. “We want Iranians and non-Iranians to understand our situation.”

A brief but heated argument involving a few attendees broke out near the end of the rally after comments were made supporting military action against the Iranian regime.

Witnesses say the exchange involved an Iranian attendee and a group of UVic students who disagreed with the remarks, with participants shouting and exchanging abusive terms.

Maz Maga, a UVic student who attended the demonstration, said he supported the broader movement but opposed calls for war.

“I was here supporting the protests,” Maga said. “But when someone said they supported missiles and war, I felt like I had to say something.”

Another attendee, Sun Kly, a postdoctoral researcher at UVic, said he supported raising awareness about the situation in Iran, but expressed concern about the potential consequences of military conflict.

“I think the demonstration has a lot of goodwill,” Kly said. “But war could bring even greater casualties.”

Arshia Radaei, co-president of PERSA, said they were expecting a “peaceful, educational demonstration.”

The rally aimed to highlight what participants described as decades of repression under Iran’s current political system. Organizers said the rally was meant to create space for dialogue on campus while drawing attention to the ongoing situation in Iran and the impact it has on Iranian students and families abroad.

“Most Iranians, inside and outside the country, have been asking for military intervention,” Radaei added. “Most Iranians have come to the streets within the country. However, they face bullets and have been killed by machine guns.”

Speakers described concerns about restrictions on freedom of speech, women’s rights and the treatment of political dissidents. Several referenced protests that began earlier this year and the government’s response to them.

Speakers also called for international attention to the situation and urged Canadians to learn more about the experiences of Iranian people both inside the country and in the diaspora.

During speeches, participants discussed reports of mass arrests, internet restrictions and violence against protesters.

Kiana Zandi, a volunteer with PERSA and one of the speakers, said many Iranians continue to speak out despite risks.

“People are asking for very simple things,” Zandi said. “Freedom, opportunity, dignity and the right to choose their own future.”